Greg van Avermaet defends Wout van Aert amidst pressure from Belgian figures: "I also experienced that in 2019"

Amidst the debate on Wout van Aert's Gent-Wevelgem, further figures of Belgian cycling have voiced their opinion when asked by the national media. Greg van Avermaet has talked about how he was also a victim of the immense pressure and criticism despite his storming success.

"Sometimes that is frustrating. Because you perform very well and achieve a lot of things and then you get criticized because you don't win. That is a bit strange," van Avermaet said in a recent interview. "I also experienced that in 2019. I rode top ten everywhere, but then they said it was very bad. While I would like to experience such a year again. So you have to put it all in perspective a bit."

Now a veteran, van Avermaet has experienced a lot within the peloton. His career climaxed in 2017 where he achieved the extraordinary feat of winning - among others - the E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix in the same spring. Incredible success that naturally wasn't followed in the years to come. The now AG2R Citroën Team rider has admitted how in the years following he was frequently criticized for not winning the big events.

"I say that to those men who are so good: 'You really have to enjoy it going so well.' And of course everyone wants to win and that is not always possible, but if you can color the final, that is really nice as a rider," he continued. "Those victories are very important, but it's just nice to be able to make the race and you have to enjoy that."

As for the Belgian's own spring, it's been very modest. His form hasn't been present and he hasn't been in contention for any of the cobbled classics. With the Tour of Flanders right around the corner it's unlikely to change, and the French team aren't too optimistic on their expectations of performing over the monuments. "Let us hope. Every week it will get a little better," he said. 

"I had a very good preparation, so before I got sick I had faith that it would be a good period. With that disease it is now a matter of waiting to see how it will go. I'm not going to continue to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, no. I've done that before. but then i had leftovers. Now I have no surplus at all. So that is not the case at all," van Avermaet concluded.